Syl Apps Award
Unveiled by The Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame Inc. on January 13, 1998, the SYL APPS Award is emblematic of Ontario's Athlete of the Year. Named in honour of the former Toronto Maple Leafs' captain and Olympic and Commonwealth Games pole vaulter Syl Apps, the award is the first of its kind for the Province of Ontario.
Voting for the award is conducted annually by the Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame. Those eligible to vote include Ontario-based sports writers, broadcasters/personalities with at least 10 years covering sports in this province, members of the Ontario Sport Legends Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Hall's Advisory Board. Points are awarded on a five, three and one point structure with voters asked to name their top three athletic performers on their ballot.
To be eligible for the Award, athletes must be Ontario-born or Ontario-based and made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sports during the previous calendar year.
Syl Apps Award Winners
1997 and 1998 - Roger Clemons, Toronto Blue Jays
Clemens signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1996 season and won the Cy Young Award in both his seasons with the Blue Jays, also winning the pitching Triple Crown twice. Some consider Clemens' tenure with the Blue Jays as his best individual seasons of his career, despite the lackluster records the Blue Jays had as a team.
1999 - Mike Weir, Golf
In 1999, Weir won his first PGA Tour title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship after rounds of 68-70-64-64, which produced a two-stroke victory. The key to victory was an eagle-2 from 147 yards on No. 14 during final round. First Canadian to win on native soil since Pat Fletcher won the 1954 Canadian Open. First Canadian to win on Tour since Richard Zokol won the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open.
2000 - Mike Weir, Golf
In 2000, Weir won the final event of the 2000 PGA Tour season with a victory at the World Golf Championship's in Spain, defeating a world class field including Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Vijay Singh. Finished the season ranked 6th on the money list and 21st in the World Rankings. Became the first Canadian to play in the Presidents Cup, where he led the International Team with a 3-2-0 record. Was awarded 2000 Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year award.
2001 - Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors
In 2000–01, his third season, Carter averaged a career-high 27.6 ppg, made the Second Team All-NBA, and was voted in as a starter in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, while the Raptors finished the regular season with a franchise-record 47 wins. In the playoffs, the Raptors beat the New York Knicks 3–2 in the first round, and advanced to the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they took the Philadelphia 76ers to a decisive seventh game.
2002 - Steve Yzerman, Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey
In 2002 Yzerman led the Wings to his third Stanley Cup championship and also led Canada's national hockey team to an Olympic gold medal. This makes him one of only three players to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year.
2003 - Mike Weir, Golf
On April 13, 2003, Weir won the prestigious Masters Tournament at Augusta, Georgia, one of the four major tournaments in men's golf. He is the first Canadian male ever to win a professional major championship. In June Weir tied for third at the U.S. Open, the second of the majors in the annual schedule, which moved him to third in the Official World Golf Rankings, his highest ranking. For his outstanding play in 2003, Weir won the Lou Marsh Trophy for outstanding Canadian athlete of the year and for a time in 2003 and 2004 he was in the top ten in PGA Tour player rankings
2004 - Adam van Koeverden, Canoeing
In 2005, van Koeverden won two medals at the 2005 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia: a silver in the K-1 1000 m and a bronze in the K-1 500 m.
2005 - Damon Allen, Football
As quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts, Damon reached the 5,000-yard passing plateau for the first time in his 21-year CFL career by posting a 34-11 victory against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The win guaranteed Toronto a first-place finish in the CFL East plus home field advantage in the playoffs.
In 2005, Allen won his first CFL's Outstanding Player Award.
2008 - Eric Lamaze, Equestrian
Mr. Lamaze had an outstanding year in 2008. He helped the Canadian Olympic Equestrian team achieve historic success by winning team silver and an individual gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He finished the year Ranked # 1 in the world in the Rolex World Rankings. In twenty-eight competitions, Mr. Lamaze finished 1st an astounding twenty times while finishing 2nd six times.